That's 2 edgy 4 me, so let's look at his rare card. Piers was a complete dork when he started out as a trainer - Piers, the angst-ridden Dark-type Gym leader and figurehead of Spikemuth, is easily recognized by his eyeshadow, long black-and-white dreads, and his punk get-up.

Apparently, some people believe they're different people because 'she shows a completely different attitude in each role.' She's always calm on the runway, but if she's in a bad mood while stationed in her Gym, she'll skin you like an eel. Nessa is a model as well as the Water-type Gym leader - Fan-favorite Nessa isn't just a Gym leader: She models as well. To see a full set of the cards and their text, visit Serebii. Some of this information is pretty personal I don't know who wrote it, or why the leaders are OK with it being in public circulation. Each one has a photo on the front, and some biographical information on the back. Galar is sport-crazy, so it makes sense that Gym leaders all have their own set of trading cards. It's a nice, subtle way of telling part of Sword and Shield's story, a bit like how the murals in Fire Emblem: Three Houses tell their own side-tale. You can also suss out the sometimes-painful journeys they've been through. When you put these cards together, you get a good picture of how the leaders connect to each other. The other half is in the 'rare' trading cards the Gym leaders give you after you help them subdue the Galar region's unruly Dynamax'd Pokemon.

Helping Hop grow as a trainer is just half of the experience. OK, here's a hint: You'll find most of it in the end game.

Character development is very much present-you just need to know where to look for it. As for Sword and Shield's story, it's not a non-entity as some fans claim.

Raihan serebii